Twisted Fallout
by tululamiller
Summary: Sequel to 'The Dagger in his Heart.' Nick made a promise to Grissom, but just how far will he go to win her back? Rated M for later chapters
1. Chapter 1

Rating: M for later chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, anything CSI related or anything else in this story (except for the fact that I wrote the story itself)

Summary: Sequel to 'The Dagger in his Heart'. Read that one first or this one won't make sense. What happened next…?

Thanks so much for the reviews! Most of you wanted a sequel so here it is. I'm attempting to work out chapters so if this goes wrong I'm sorry.

Warning! Spoilers through to series 6

PS. I use English spellings E.g. colour, jewellery, metre (just to clear up any confusion)

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Pulling out his cell phone, Grissom felt the familiar wave of panic clutching his stomach. He wished Sara would answer the phone at the first ring when he called her; she still wasn't safe from harm. The storm brewing outside his Denali was doing nothing to calm him down when there was still no answer after the second ring. Squinting through the rain pellets battering the windshield, he began to hold his breath until a soothing low voice finally answered.

"Sidle." The voice he had been longing to hear calmed the inner storm inside his chest momentarily while the sky waged war on the ground outside. The distinct tremble in the voice stopped him mid-sigh. He knew that it had happened again, his fear growing with every second.

"Sara, it's me. What's happened this time?" He closed his eyes waiting for the news he had been dreading, though snapping them open again when he remembered he was driving. Just in time, he swerved out of the way of an oncoming pickup truck and back into his lane before remembering where he was in the never ending journey home. His heart pounded so loudly that he was sure Sara would hear down the phone, never mind the blaring horn from the truck.

"Gris? What the hell just happened?" Her voice sounded strong and alert again as he slowed into the driveway at last; that car journey seemed to last an age.

"Nothing's happened, just car trouble. I'm home now; I'll talk to you in a second." He hung up, bracing himself for the tidal wave awaiting his return. It only took him seconds to reach the front door, but he may as well have swum through the air. Shaking his head like a shaggy dog, he quickly found his key, attacking the stiff lock. He cursed under his breath as the door jammed after a few inches, only to hear her voice from behind the door.

"Who's there?" Although her voice was strong and undeterred, Grissom could detect the fear in Sara's voice. Realising that the chain was on the door, he slipped his ID through the gap.

"It's me Sara. Let me in before I drown!" He kept his voice light. If she'd locked the door, something bad must have happened this time. Peering through the gap in between the door and its frame, his gaze met a shining chocolate eye. Even surrounded by smudged mascara, it was still beautiful, warming Gil's shivering body more than any hot shower would ever do.

"Sorry Gris. You just…you need to see this." She shut the door, opening it a second later. Grissom rushed into the hallway, shrugging off his wet coat before pulling her into a bone breaking hug. He felt her relax against his chest, her slender frame rocking with fresh sobs. Stroking her hair, he moved them both to the living room sofa before carefully sitting down. When they had confessed their love for one another two weeks ago, both Gil and Sara had hoped that Nick would give up. Word at the lab was that he was back with Elsie again, earning them the reputation of the new Brangelina of the LVPD. The last promise Nick had made to Grissom, that he would win Sara back, was taking its toll on the new relationship between Gil and Sara.

"What was it this time honey?"

Sara pushed herself away from his chest, wiping her eyes before pointing at the video player underneath the TV. She looked at the machine as if it were a deadly snake, waiting for its prey to move before striking. Unwilling to let her go, Gil grabbed the remote, gripping Sara's hand. His imagination could not comprehend what could make the strongest woman in the world so visibly petrified. What could Nick have sent that was worse than the notes or the first ultrasound photograph from Sara's pregnancy?

After the first note had arrived, Sara had ran into the bathroom and thrown up. Afraid she was ill, Grissom had rushed to her side to find her clutching a piece of note paper in her hand. Taking the note, he led Sara to the kitchen for some strong coffee and began to read.

_Dearest Sara,_

_I hope you're enjoying yourself with your Bugman__ cos it's not gonna last much longer. We were meant to be together Sara, he's not gonna affect everything we have and everything we will have. We know each other too well, like I know about how much you hate your murderer mother, and how your brother sold you off as payment for his dealers when you were seven. We would hate for everyone to know about that now, wouldn't we? Unless you want everyone to know your secrets and your boyfriend's head floating in the sewers, come back to me. Sara Louise Sidle, we are soul mates and I know your heart will lead you back to me soon._

_Watch this space._

The photograph had reduced Sara to tears for 2 consecutive days. Was it not bad enough for a woman to lose her first child, let alone three in one go? Did she really need reminding of the pain? It was the poorest taste imaginable, even for a man desperate to win back his bride. Due to stress, Sara had not been back to work for a week. She had complained at first, but seeing Nick as she entered the building had sent her into overdrive. Instead, she had sat at home, assisting Grissom with paperwork when necessary and refusing to tell the police step in when more packages arrived through the door. Now, a fresh wave of fear paled her porcelain complexion as she stared at the television. She nodded, and Grissom tightened his hold on her before pressing play.

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Let me know what you think so far. I should hopefully be able to update fairly regularly, fingers crossed. Sorry about this first one being so short, they will be longer later on.


	2. Chapter 2

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, anything CSI related or anything else in this story (except for the fact that I wrote the story itself)

Summary: Sequel to 'The Dagger in his Heart'. Read that one first or this one won't make sense. What happened next…?

Okay, chapters are working. Thanks again for the reviews. I will try to update on Mondays but I'll be away this Monday, so here's an early chapter for you. Enjoy!

Warning! Spoilers through to series 6

PS. I use English spellings E.g. colour, jewellery, metre (just to clear up any confusion)

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Blurred images filled the TV screen for a few seconds, before suddenly focusing on the face of a young girl. The girl was pale with long, curly brown hair framing her face. Her huge eyes were focused on a piece of paper on the wooden table in front of her, her frail hands playing with a biro. Although she couldn't have been older than 11, the dark circles under her eyes made her look older and weaker. A deep voice suddenly started to talk from behind the camera.

"11th October 1983. Investigation into the murder of Martin Michael Sidle, case 1379S 0382PL. Witness interrogation with Sara Louise Sidle, daughter of deceased. Time is 3:14 a.m.

"Now Sara, we've been trying to find out who hurt your father. I know this must be tough for you, but could you tell us what happened that night in your house?"

The girl never looked up from her pen as she answered in a flat, defeated voice. "That night? Why just that night? Why don't you ask about all the other nights? Don't you want to know about the days too? Those were bad too, maybe even worse. To tell you the truth, there was nothing out of the ordinary happening that day. I came home from school, Kevin came home an hour later and took me to meet Eric again. I came back when it got dark and there was a tea towel hanging out the front window. I went and sat in the shed like I was supposed to until Mom came for me. She never came, as usual, so I walked around the block for a while until Mrs Pleckum over the road saw me and took me home. I ran upstairs when I saw the beer cans on the floor so that Dad didn't know I was there. He's the worst after a few beers. I heard him shout at Mom again so I hid in my closet until the police arrived. And now I'm here."

"Okay, thank you Sara. Did you see any blood in the house when you came home?"

"Fresh blood or the usual? You really need to be more specific if you want to know what happened. The usual blood was there; the big stain on the hall carpet that Mom tried to make me clean for 3 days solid without any breaks, the spray on my bedroom wall was still there. There was no reason for it not to be there. I heard you people saying he died in the kitchen; I didn't go in the kitchen that day so I didn't see any new blood. There probably was though. You should ask Kevin, he'll know."

"You're doing great Sara, just a few more questions left. You say your brother, Kevin, took you to meet Eric? Who's Eric?"

"Kevin says he's his friend, but I doubt it. Eric's old and doesn't live near us. He's never been round for dinner and they never say nice things to each other. Kevin doesn't have any friends; he's too secretive and moody. People write things about him on bus stops and through bricks through the windows at home. Eric isn't a friend."

"Okay, so why does he take you to see Eric?" The young Sara looked up from her hands for the first time, fixing the man behind the camera with an icy stare, her lip trembling.

"Kevin thinks I'm a stupid kid. I'm not, I skipped two grades and I get higher grades than anyone else in my class. But Kevin still thinks I'm a little kid that has no idea what's going on. You keep avoiding the subject of my father. I know he's dead. I'm not sorry for what happened to him. You think I'll break down and destroy the case you're building against my mother. Don't worry, I won't interfere."

"Sara, it's my job as an investigator to find out the truth. We'll be happy with the truth. You're clearly an observant girl and your help might let us find out who killed your father. Now, why did he take you to see Eric?"

Sara suddenly stiffened, both on the video and in Grissom's arms. Grissom, however, was watching the screen intently. His mouth was hanging open slightly, his blue eyes wide with horror. He knew who Eric was, and exactly what Sara was taken to him for. The young girl on the screen remained silent.

"Sara, was it anything to do with this?" A hand appeared on the screen, placing a small bag of white powder on the table. "We found this in your brother's room." Sara glanced at the powder, a look of fear on her face. Her eyes suddenly seemed even more prominent as her face paled more than Grissom thought was possible. It was mixed with another expression though, longing. She dropped the pen from her hands and flung her impossibly bony frame towards the bag. The hand re-appeared, snatching the bag from her grasp. A security guard ran into the screen, seizing the girl and taking her from the room. The investigator clearly forgot about the camera and took her seat. The man looked tired, running his hands over his bald head. Another voice, a throaty female, came from behind the camera.

"You reckon this Eric's Eric Gardener? He's been released on good behaviour, he could be dealing again."

"It could be. How old was that girl, eleven? Twelve maybe? I've never seen a kid addict before. This is seriously fucked up."

"You know how these guys work. If her brother was taking her to him, he could have got her addicted. Or maybe…shit! Thompson, we should get a SAE kit done ASAP."

"Why…? Oh shit! He's been paying Gardener off with her? Gardener must be doping her up to stop her fighting back, so now she's hooked too…shit! We need to find this bastard, raping kids for coke money. That is fucked up big time. Crap! The camera!"

The screen suddenly went dark, and a voice began to speak. Although distorted, both Sara and Grissom could detect the familiarity in the voice. It was harsh and full of rage, enough to reduce anyone to a quivering mass of fear.

"I know all of your secrets Sara. You trust me and I trust you. We belong together, we should be together. If you want this video sent to everyone at the Las Vegas Crime Lab, you stay with your bugman. If you want respect and love, he will not give it to you. He will leave you and break your heart again. I know I broke it too, but I've changed. Come back to me." With that, the tape finished, leaving a silence so loud it could have deafened crowds of people.

Grissom turned the monitor off and turned to face Sara. She was facing the screen still, his face screwed up in an attempt to fight away tears. She had untangled herself from his arms during the video, distancing herself from him as if Nick could see them. Grissom placed a hand on her shoulder. He knew Eric Gardener was a notorious cocaine dealer in San Francisco; he was mentioned in a newspaper Gil had read a few years ago, talking about a dealer who, like him, would take whatever method of payment was going. Sara had told Gil that Kevin was an addict at the age of seventeen, and that he had used Sara as payment. What she had failed to mention was that she had been an addict herself. The girl on the tape looked frail and unwell, and her reaction to the cocaine on the table had shocked both the two detectives conducting the interview and Grissom. Glancing at the woman in front of him, the only resemblance of the young girl he could see was the fear taking over her pale face.

Grissom reached for her hand, only to feel her recoil. Sara looked at his face. She expected to see the look of pity and disappointment everyone had given her when they found out about her addiction. She had grown to despise that look. Only concern filled Grissom's face though. She glanced down at her feet, willing herself to tell him of her decision. The tape had arrived before Grissom had left for work, she had mulled over this choice for hours. She could see no other alternative.

"Gil? I'm going to do what he says." She couldn't bring herself to look at his face, afraid that his expression might make her change her mind. She reached out and took his hand, which lay limply in hers. "I really do love you Gris, more than I could ever love Nick, but this…this is too much. I'm putting us both in danger when it could just easily be stopped. I can't let anyone else see that interview, only Nick knew about the cocaine. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but I didn't want you to feel sorry for me, or be disgusted by me." Grissom made a noise as if to interrupt, but Sara ploughed on. "If I go back to Nick, this'll stop. Then, I can make him want to get rid of me so we can be together. I know what Nick hates in women, I can pull this off. I love you so much it hurts at times Gris, but this is something I have to do. If I don't do this, we could lose each other forever and I couldn't live with myself if I caused that. Gris?" She finally looked up, tears falling down her face.

Grissom simply sat and listened as she spoke. He knew she would do whatever she could to protect him, but his heart began to sting again. Forget sting, it was downright crumbling into a pile of dust in his chest. He was finally happy with the woman he loved for the first time in his life, and she was leaving to protect him. He knew he must look like a wounded puppy, but he had no fight left in him to carry off his emotionless face. He gazed into her eyes, silently pleading her not to go. He needed her, she needed him. However, she just repeated the words she told him before, when she went back to Nick for the first time.

"I'm so sorry."

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Sorry about the angsty chapters so far. There will be happier bits too!


	3. Chapter 3

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, anything CSI related or anything else in this story (except for the fact that I wrote the story itself)

Summary: Sequel to 'The Dagger in his Heart'. Read that one first or this one won't make sense. What happened next…?

Thanks so much for the reviews! Most of you wanted a sequel so here it is. I'm attempting to work out chapters so if this goes wrong I'm sorry.

Warning! Spoilers through to series 6

PS. I use English spellings E.g. colour, jewellery, metre (just to clear up any confusion)

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Grissom finally placed his forensics journal back on the break room table; reading would not distract him. He looked up at the door, hoping to see her slender silhouette in the doorway. It had been Sara's idea to arrive at work separately, when she would walk into the break room and deliver the news to Nick. Announcing this publically, she decided, would make sure Nick knew that Grissom knew, therefore saving him from any danger. She had planned the whole process the night before while Grissom sat silently, unable to think of the right words to make her stay. He knew he should have said something; the love of his life was walking away from him to save him from possible danger. Maybe the threats were empty, and Grissom never really was in danger? Maybe that video was never going to be distributed? Whatever Nick intended on doing, he had won.

When Nick had promised Grissom that he would win Sara back, Grissom had not taken it too seriously. Sara loved him, he loved Sara. Nick had hurt Sara, both physically and emotionally. Grissom was there for Sara most of the time. Why on earth would Sara want to go back to Nick? They had been in love for 3 years; Grissom had loved Sara for at least 15. Grissom had everything Nick lacked, everything she needed to truly appreciate everything she was. Sara had never seen herself as a beautiful, confident, strong woman despite Grissom's efforts. Nick had shot her, terminated her first pregnancy, beat her and attempted to restrain her in their own house. Now, his threats were taking her away from Gil all over again. Suddenly realising that Catherine was speaking to him, Gil tried to filter the situation out of his mind and listen.

"…so the suspect must be lying. There's no way her blood drops could have got on the victim without a struggle. What do you reckon Gil? Gil?"

"Let me see the photos again Cath, we need to be sure of this or the DA will dismiss the trial. He's already threatening to…" He trailed off, suddenly seeing a vision in the doorway. He caught himself smiling at her, remembering his end of the deal. He cleared his throat and snatched the case file out of Catherine's hands. Noticing his sudden withdrawal, the rest of the occupants glanced up at the door. Catherine dropped her empty coffee mug. Nick stood up and made to leave the room. Greg, on the other hand, ran up to Sara and pulled her into a bone breaking hug. She hesitated at first before wrapping her arms tightly around his torso. She caught Grissom's eye over Greg's shoulder, her eyes shining. She nodded her head slightly at Gil's small, sad smile and pushed Greg away.

"I'm fine Greg, really." She wafted away Greg's questions before turning to Nick, who had stopped grudgingly to tie his shoelace. "Nick, can we talk somewhere private." She knew what his answer would be and was not disappointed when he answered her sharply.

"Anything you can say to me can be said to the guys Sara. What?" Sara fought back a smile. "He's so predictable!" she thought. Suddenly, the realisation of what she was about to do hit her. She was getting back with a man she didn't love, a man that hurt her in so many ways. He cheated on her and broke her heart. Grissom was there through the whole Nick situation, and now she had to return the favour. She may as well have been shot again; the pain in her stomach was unbearable. Her head hurt, her chest hurt, her arms hurt. Every inch of her body was begging her not to do what she was about to do.

"Nick… Look, I've some time to cool off and I'm asking you to… and wondering if you'd…"

"Spit it out Sara we haven't got all day!" Nick looked furious and humiliated. If she didn't do something soon, the plan would not work.

Instead of her well prepared speech, she did the only thing she could think to do. Nick staggered slightly as she flung herself into his arms and sobbed into his shoulder, not from remorse but for the loss of her soul mate; the man sat pretending not to care she was gone. She knew he didn't want her to do this, but respected her enough not to stop her. Allowing her tears to fall, she whispered into Nick's ear.

"I'm so sorry Nick; I didn't mean to do those things. I love you, I miss you. Please let me come back. I love you. I love you so much…" She trailed off into sobs. Hearing well rehearsed footsteps behind her, she knew Grissom had left. Part of her was glad; she loved him too much to want him to suffer on her behalf. However, she'd never felt so alone as Nick's arms snaked around her torso and pulled her to his chest, a relieved chuckle escaping his throat. Her sobs consumed her as Nick sighed deeply, stroking her hair softly. He had left. He was gone. He didn't know if her idea would work, so he was gone. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to control herself; Nick's acceptance was supposed to make her happy! A hand caressed her face softly, easing her face towards Nick's. He leaned towards her, just as Sara saw Grissom stood in the corridor. Closing her eyes, she imagined this was Gil kissing her deeply, his cheek brushing hers, his hands on the back of her head. She kissed Nick as ferociously as he kissed her. Tears leaked from her eyes as she felt Grissom's eyes on her. "This charade had better be worth it," she thought, praying that Nick would let her go.

Grissom couldn't help himself. Nick was dangerous; he could have been hurting her in the break room. Catherine and Greg would be no use against Nick's rage. He needed to know she wasn't sacrificing herself anymore than she was willing to. He could have kicked himself when he turned back from his brisk walk out of the break room to see the hug turning into something more. Rashly, he caught her eye before Nick moved in for the kill. Her face was tear-stained, her eyes full of regret and remorse. Even with mascara running down her cheek, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. His heart was stabbed ferociously by the all too familiar dagger a moment later. The love of his life was kissing the man he had sworn to protect her from, just to save him from harm. She had suffered too much for one person in a lifetime; he couldn't stand aside and watch the love of his life sacrifice herself all over again. He couldn't, wouldn't, stand aside while Nick stole the only precious thing in his life all over again; she was worth the risk.

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Sorry about this one being kinda short too, I promise there'll be lots of chapters.


	4. Chapter 4

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, anything CSI related or anything else in this story (except for the fact that I wrote the story itself)

Summary: Sequel to 'The Dagger in his Heart'. Read that one first or this one won't make sense. What happened next…?

Thanks so much for the reviews! My apologies in advance I will be away for 3 weeks at least, so it will be a while before the next update. Sorry !

Warning! Spoilers through to series 6

PS. I use English spellings E.g. colour, jewellery, metre (just to clear up any confusion)

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After a whole shift of gruelling paperwork and watching Nick celebrate his victory, the scotch in Grissom's hand didn't stand a chance. Neither did the one after that. He sat in his dark kitchen; afraid of what he might see when he turned on the lights. Her possessions were still strewn around his house, capturing her essence and refusing to let her presence drift away. This too had been part of Sara's plan; even in his depressed state he could not help but marvel how she had turned total fear into an organised, logical plot. She truly was an amazing woman.

Sitting alone finally allowed Grissom to review just what had happened over the past two weeks. He had never been as happy as he had been with Sara. Although both had agreed to take the relationship slowly, Grissom had been content with her presence in his home, her slender form sleeping beside him as he awoke each morning, her laughter brightening up what would have been a lonely night in front of the television. Nick had evaporated from both of their minds as they gradually grew closer. Then, the first letter had arrived. It may have been anonymous, but both Sara and Gil instinctively knew who was contacting them. After reading the note, Grissom had reached for his phone. Halfway through dialling Brass's number, Sara had grabbed the phone from his hands, begging him not to get anyone else involved. His mind, heart and gut and screamed at him to redial that number and get the police involved. Hell, as an investigator he had seen how traumatised families were as they withheld information until it was too late. However, Sara's pleas had won him over. They spend the night on the sofa, holding each other silently; neither wanting the other to be alone.

A few days later, another note arrived. Sara had barely recovered from the first note; she hadn't been able to return to work or eat a proper meal for three days. This note, again, threatened both Sara and Gil, revealing dark little details about Sara's past; details only Sara and Nick, and occasionally Grissom, knew. The happiness that had engulfed the new couple was ebbing away, and Grissom's pleas to call the police went unnoticed. Nothing he could say would reassure her, he could just hold her. He began calling her whenever he had a spare moment at work to make sure she was safe. In normal circumstances, he knew she would be furious that he felt the need to protect her and would probably have left him after the first call. All the things that made Sara who she was were vanishing, her pride, her stubbornness, her fearlessness. Her brain was operating, otherwise there would be no plan, and she was still the breathtakingly beautiful woman he had fallen in love with after he gave that seminar in San Francisco. He still loved her enough not to let her live in fear, and she left.

She had constantly reassured Grissom that this plan would be the only way for them to be together safely, and that she wasn't really leaving him. The fact remained though; she was probably doing whatever Nick wanted to keep the charade going, including sex. Nick was dangerous and violent, and Sara could only defend herself to a certain degree. He knew he was going to interfere. She would hate him for ruining her plan, but she was not safe with Nick.

Downing yet another scotch, he attempted to formulate his own plan but his mind was numb. What was wrong with him? Sara came up with a logical plot when she was terrified and freshly traumatised from the video, so why couldn't he? Sighing, he decided he needed help. He needed someone who cared enough about Sara to help him but not enough to feel the need to confront her, someone who was willing to work against Nick. This someone had to be willing to work, maybe fulltime, on this plan and not tell anyone about it, or Grissom and Sara's relationship; they had kept it quiet and Nick didn't seem to have told anyone. Looking through his phone book, he eliminated candidates one by one until only one name was left. "Why? Why him?" Grissom even said it out loud; who was going to hear him? "Okay Gil, you don't need help. You can do this by yourself. Just call Brass and get him to arrest Nick for this. And have Sara think I can't trust her, yeah right! Okay, Brass is out, so just confront Nick tomorrow. Yeah, but Sara is in trouble now and you're not the greatest communicator, are you Gil? You'll probably come across as a jealous old man stirring up trouble! Yeah, but I am jealous, he has Sara!" He needed this person.

Switching on the lights at last, he took in the whole kitchen. It looked fairly normal, except for the new plant on the windowsill, and the salads and tofu in the fridge, simple things that brought her essence into his life. One shoe was lying on the floor next to the bin, a feminine shoe. She belonged here, not with Nick. There was nothing else left to do; he needed her here and he knew the only person who could help him. He picked up his phone and dialled the number, praying that it wasn't his mind talking, just the scotch. The phone was answered after the second ring.

"Grissom! What a nice surprise! I thought you'd gone home."

"I need you to come by my house and help me with something."

"Well, may I say you picked the right person! Is it a case?"

"In a way. Just come by here as soon as you can, but don't tell anyone about this, especially Nick or Sara."

"Why…?"

"Just do it Hodges!" He hung up. This had better be worth it.

**An hour later**

"So let me get this straight, Sara has gone back to Nick to protect you both from some madman sending notes and videos? And you want to interfere with her plan? That is…brave of you."

Hodges was sat leisurely on Grissom's couch with a cup of coffee as Grissom filled him in on the situation. He had not shown him the letters or the video, nor did he have any intention of showing him them. He didn't need the whole lab to know about Sara's childhood. What he did need was Sara, unharmed and not angry.

"Yes David. I need her back here safely; Nick's dangerous and violent and Sara hasn't always been able to protect herself. I need a plan that will get Nick but not make Sara feel like I don't trust her enough to carry out her plan. I need her here with me, not just on Wednesday evenings."

"Why Wednesday evenings?"

Grissom shrugged. "She's told him she goes to the gym that night."

"So, I get dangerous, I mean these notes have clearly rattled both of you. But violent? Nick doesn't seem like the type to get violent. What makes you think he's violent?"

Grissom sighed deeply. He was going to have to tell Hodges something or else the plan wouldn't work. "Promise you'll keep this quiet?"

"My lips are sealed. Spill…boss!"

"The night Sara left Nick; she came here beaten to a pulp and bleeding from the head. She was unconscious for half an hour and badly traumatised. She was planning on leaving him while he wasn't there, but he came home early. He tied her to their bed, beat her up and left her there to chew herself free. She managed it, but he caught her leaving and threw a bottle at her head. She collapsed on my doorstep and Nick came round soon after. He left eventually, but promised that he'd get her back. Now, Sara's planning on making him dump her so we'll be safe that no-one will see that video. If anyone else sees it, it'll ruin her."

"So I guess I can't see it."

"I know you want to; it'll definitely show you how serious the situation is. But Sara doesn't want anyone to see it, and she'll never forgive me if I show it to anyone. Even I didn't know some of the things shown on that tape."

"Can I ask what was on it?" Hodges just didn't get it; Grissom couldn't tell anyone. He needed help though, so he sighed.

"Sara had a bad childhood. It refers to one particular incident that could wreck her reputation as a criminalist. I can't tell you more than that. I apologise for being vague, but I have my reasons. So, any ideas?"

Normally, Hodges would have refused to help anyone so vague, but this was Gil Grissom! He needed help and had come to him. Who was he to refuse his idol when help was needed? So what if he couldn't see the evidence, he was helping Gil Grissom! Cracking a grin, he placed his empty mug on a coaster.

"You do realise who you're talking to here? I always have ideas."

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Again, sorry in advance for the next update being late. Au revoir! guess where I'm going lol.


	5. Chapter 5

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, anything CSI related or anything else in this story (except for the fact that I wrote the story itself)

Summary: Sequel to 'The Dagger in his Heart'. Read that one first or this one won't make sense. What happened next…?

Thanks so much for the reviews! This is probably the biggest GSR chapter so far. Enjoy!

Warning! Spoilers through to series 6

PS. I use English spellings E.g. colour, jewellery, metre (just to clear up any confusion)

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The doorbell rang at the exact moment it was supposed to. Grissom walked slowly to the door in an attempt to hide his desperation to see her. His hand trembled as he reached for the handle; this had better work. Hodges had deemed this "Phase One" of the plan. All the mutual decisions Grissom and Sara had made at the beginning of their relationship would melt away if this worked, but he didn't care. He would do whatever it takes to get Sara away from Nick safely. He sighed deeply and opened the door.

He needn't have worried about the content of the plan. As soon as he opened the door, Sara rushed inside, slammed the door behind her and flung herself into Gil's arms. He forgot everything he was supposed to do, he just held her close. Looking down at her, he noticed the fire smouldering behind her chocolate eyes. He barely noticed the half concealed bruises littering her perfect face as he kissed her. This kiss, however, was unlike any kiss they had ever shared. They were two souls, desperate for the companionship they had lost. Holding her face in his hands, he pressed her face to his, groaning slightly as her tongue sought his mouth. The power of their kiss caused them to stumble against a wall, much to Gil's delight.

He moved from her mouth to her neck, smiling slightly when she giggled; the stubble inhabiting his chin brushing her neck as he placed little kisses all over. He felt her hand on his chin, gently bringing his attention back to her face. His eyes took in her face, her pink lips swollen from kissing, her eyes still burning, before taking her hands and kissing her again. He had no intention of pinning her against a wall and seducing her, but it seemed to be happening.

They continued to kiss ferociously until both needed air. Grissom didn't release her hands; they both just stood gazing at each other. Before he could kiss her again, Sara freed her hands; allowing them to stray to her shirt. Before she could do anything, Gil took the shirt from her. She raised her arms as Gil slid it over her head, allowing his hands to wander over her torso. Taking in her appearance, he couldn't help but gasp. Even the bruises and the scar under her ribs could not disrupt the beauty that was her figure. He kissed her neck again, slowly moving his kisses downwards. He heard her gasp with every little kiss, smiling to himself slightly. Before he could go any further, the doorbell rang again. The initial shock broke the two apart. Sighing, Gil took one last look of her before looking through the peep hole in his door.

"Shit!"

"What is it Gris?"

"Put your shirt on and get the suitcase now. It's Nick."

"Are you kidding me? He knew I'd be here so he's checking up on me? That bullshit!"

"I know, but he's here, hurry!" He gave her one last, short kiss before she hurried into the guest room for her suitcase. Checking his appearance in the mirror, he couldn't help but notice how ruffled he looked. Or the pink lipstick transferred onto his lips. Running into the kitchen, he took two bottles of cranberry juice out of the fridge. At least he could explain away the pink lips. Running back to the door with one, he pulled it open, preparing himself for a beating.

"Hey Gris. I was wondering if Sara was here." Grissom squared himself up, remembering his apparent resentment for Sara he was supposed to have when she was around. "You know she is you sick bastard!" he thought viciously.

"Yeah she is. She's getting her stuff. Didn't she tell you?" "Lay on the guilt Gil, make him feel left out and make him want to leave her!" He found his thoughts were going along with Sara's plan. He really needed to stop that or he'd never be able to stop her plan.

"Yeah she did. She's been gone a while though, I was just wondering… is that lipstick on your face Gris?"

He held up his drink. "Cranberry. It stains lips pink." Ha, find a way round that!

"Oh right. Where is she then?"

"Hey babe!" Sara's voice entered the hallway. She was lugging her large suitcase behind her with a smile on her face. However, Grissom knew better; in her plan, she would return to Nick with only half her things, giving her an excuse to come back. Her smile was too wide as well, there was no way that smile was real. She dropped the suitcase and gave Nick a quick peck on the cheek. Grissom couldn't help but take in her appearance. She'd combed her hair and washed off her lipstick. Her face was back to its usual complexion, the pink flush gone from her cheeks. She looked perfectly innocent to anyone who hadn't been in the room ten minutes ago. Nick snaked an arm around her waist, clearly marking his territory. Sara began to speak in a cold voice, always a good actress.

"If you find anything I've forgotten could you give me a call?"

"Uh, yeah. I will." His heart was breaking as he forced a resentful voice from his throat. He wanted to speak words of love to her, not short sentences of monosyllable words. "I'll see you both at work tomorrow then."

Sara left, casting a longing look over her shoulder. The last place she wanted to go was back to Nick's place, especially when Grissom seemed so ready to take their relationship to the next level, fast. Nick began to turn to face her, so she cleared her face of emotion, blinking back burning tears. She smiled and left; one more look at Gil and her heart would break.

Nick stopped before following Sara out of the door. He smirked at Grissom, spitting out the words that might have finally broken the steely Gil Grissom front.

"I told you she'd come back to me. You lose Grissom, she loves me." He leered in Grissom's face, storming out before Grissom could swing his fist into his face. Instead, he walked into the kitchen and punched the wall. The pain failed to clear his head. Sara may have said she was Grissom's, but Nick had a funny way of convincing him otherwise. His phone bleeped loudly, making him jump and swear loudly; his neighbours but have been getting curious with the unusual behaviour and visitors. Reading the message, he smiled slightly.

"Phase one complete? If yes, reply and receive full plan. Meeting at your place in 2 hours. Hodges."

Smiling wider, Gil began to text back.

"Phase one complete. Make it an hour. Grissom."

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Sorry about the long delay (mind it was a good holiday and I have lots of new ideas!) Hope this makes up for it!


	6. Chapter 6

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, anything CSI related or anything else in this story (except for the fact that I wrote the story itself)

Summary: Sequel to 'The Dagger in his Heart'. Read that one first or this one won't make sense. What happened next…?

Thanks so much for the reviews!

Warning! Spoilers through to series 6

PS. I use English spellings E.g. colour, jewellery, metre (just to clear up any confusion)

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The employees of the Las Vegas Crime Lab worked unpredictable jobs; routine and pattern were words missing from that specialist dictionary. However, each employee, whether a cleaner, receptionist or a criminalist, knew exactly when to move out of Gil Grissom's way. When his eyes were anywhere but the corridor he was walking down, usually on a file or piece of paper in front of his, everyone realised the importance of his world of thoughts. This man could solve crimes that most would turn their backs on with his incredible knowledge; interrupt his train of thought and a killer might get away. So when Judy the receptionist saw his eyes were fixed on a piece of paper that day, she caught herself before saying hello.

The piece of paper in question was separated into 5 phases. Each had a small box next to a small paragraph of writing. Realising the significance of the box, Grissom ticked the box next to the first paragraph:

_Phase One. Give her__ a taste to show her what she is missing. On her scheduled visits, show her exactly what she is missing out on by going ahead with her plan. I can only imagine how far you guys have gone, so go further! _.

Hodges' plan seemed simple, yet effective. Why had it been so difficult for Gil to think of something like that? He knew he wasn't exactly going to ride to Nick's house on a white horse and rescue Sara, but nothing else had sprung to mind that wouldn't make Sara hate him forever. Looking up from the paper, he found himself facing his locked office door; his feet accustomed to walking to this destination without paying attention to direction. He located the correct key in his pocket and opened the door. One glance told him that nothing had been disturbed.

Sitting at his desk, he booted up his laptop. While the machine whirred away, he began to think again. Sara had barely spoken to him since she had gone back to Nick, keeping up the charade that she thought would help them. He had overheard her talking to Greg though, which gave him an idea. He left his office and headed silently to the layout room. Sara and Greg were working a homicide in a pet store, and would be there examining the evidence alone. The pace of his walk told the people inhabiting the corridor to step out of his way. To the lab, this was known as the 'going to catch a bad guy' walk.

Stopping just outside the doorway, his ears pricked up at the sound of Greg's voice. Greg may have been a joker, but he would pull off the concerned friend perfectly. Greg had always had a thing for Sara, and would notice the subtle changes that suggested that not all was well. To Grissom's delight, the conversation was heading in the right direction.

"So, how are things between you and Nick?"

"They're…you know…not the same but I'm sure they will be. Why'd you ask?"

"No reason. It's just, I've never seen you wearing long sleeves and so much make-up during a heat wave, that's all. I was wondering if it had anything to do with Nick, that's all. I mean, there have been rumours and I just wanted to clear things up. Why did you leave Nick in the first place?"

"He didn't tell you?"

"No. All I know was that he accidently shot you, then things looked okay for bit, and then you left him out of the blue. Next thing we know you're living with the bugman and not coming into work. Then, you and Nick are back together. What happened?"

"Let me tell you something Greg. Nick had been cheating on me for months with some British woman that had gone out with Grissom for a while. Then, there was a struggle and I got shot. He pulled the 'I love you, come back to me, she was stalking me, remember the good times card' and I took it. A few weeks later- swear you won't tell anyone?"

"I promise Sara. This is serious, I had no idea."

"I know you didn't, you would have told me if you knew. Rick knew. I know!" She would have laughed at Greg's look of indignation if she had been in a better mood. "When I found out, I realised why he had been asking me if I was okay so many times. But anyway, I found out eventually and I took him back. Then, a few weeks later, he practically beat me to a pulp. Grissom noticed and told me that I should leave him, and I thought about it. Nick caught me packing and…restrained me. I escaped, not without having a bottle thrown at my head, and I ended up at Gil's house. He took care of me until I realised that I had to go back to Nick. He even threw Nick out of his house because he nearly woke me up when I was sleeping."

"Holy fuck! Where is that bastard? I'll kill him! And there I was, believing Nick's story that you had cheated on him and left him for Grissom!"

"Greg, calm down! What exactly did Nick say?" Grissom could almost imagine the flames behind her eyes as she asked that last question.

"He said that some woman had been stalking him, she told you that Nick was her boyfriend and then you flew off the handle, shacked up with Gris who then had a fight with you and shot you."

"What?"

"And then you went back to Nick, only to run around with Gris behind his back and then you left him for Grissom."

"Okay, I'm with you now, where is that bastard?"

Suddenly aware of the storming footsteps coming from the room, Grissom leapt back a few paces and began walking. Right on time, He collided with Sara, catching her before she hit the floor. If the lab had been deserted, he wouldn't have let go of her. He would have held her so close that their bodies could have been fused together. He would have treasured every fibre of her being and taken her back home, where she was safe. However, he knew that he could not hold her any longer without drawing attention to himself. He let her go, covering up the awkward moment.

Sara willed Grissom to let her go and sighed deeply when he did; the plan was going well so far and she would be back with him soon. Looking at his face as he held her, she had caught her reflection in the mirror of is glasses and suddenly became aware of the spot where her make-up was failing her.

"Whoa! Where's the fire? Why are you two leaving the evidence unattended and going off looking like you're gonna kill someone?"

"Sorry Gris, we'll sort out the evidence."

"Yeah, sorry Gris." Sara mumbled her apology, suddenly pretending to bite her nails and looking down at her feet. Giving her a questioning look, Grissom suddenly saw a glimpse of purple behind her hand.

"Sara?" He took her hand and moved it gently away from her mouth. She tried to cover her chin again, but Greg took her hands. Grissom had helped her before; maybe he would do it again. The glimpse of purple he had seen seemed to be faded, but it became clearer as he wiped the heavy make-up from her chin. She winced slightly as he touched her tender skin. His hands were soft on the spot that Nick had punched so hard two nights ago. She finally looked him in the eyes, using all of her self-restraint to stop herself from kissing him. His eyes were filled with horror and concern, just as they were when the 'gifts' began arriving.

Grissom examined Sara face as she winced. She was wearing much more make-up than usual, barely concealing deep purple marks littering her beautiful face. She and Nick had only been together for 4 days, but she was already his punching bag. This was really getting serious; she was in too deep.

"Sara, this has gone too far…"

"No Gris! Its fine, everything's on track." She chose her words carefully, making sure that the plan wasn't revealed to Greg. Speaking of Greg…

"Where's Greg gone?" She suddenly felt a deep swoop in her stomach. Greg was angry and seeking revenge; and no longer in eye sight!

"Oh shit! He knows what Nick did to me and … you know what he's like. We need to find him before something happens and sabotages the plan."

Looking over his shoulder, Grissom seized her arms and began to hiss.

"Sara, forget about the plan, it's not worth it! Look at what he's done to you again! How can I be sure that everything's under control? What if he kills you, or rapes you? I couldn't live with myself if anything worse happened to you. I love you too much, you are everything to me!"

The silence that followed must have lasted for centuries. Sara stared at Grissom, Grissom stared at Sara. Neither was going to back down from the argument. Suddenly forgetting the situation, Grissom pulled Sara into the tightest hug she had ever felt. It was far from uncomfortable; she had never felt safer or more loved in her life. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she relaxed her body into his, exhaling deeply.

"I love you too Gil." Grissom smiled, she only used his first name when she was deadly serious. The moment was soon broken; a loud gunshot rang unannounced through the lab. Breaking apart, the same words fell from each of their mouths.

"Oh Shit! Greg!"

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	7. Chapter 7

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, anything CSI related or anything else in this story (except for the fact that I wrote the story itself)

Summary: Sequel to 'The Dagger in his Heart'. Read that one first or this one won't make sense. What happened next…?

Thanks so much for the reviews!

Warning! Spoilers through to series 6

PS. I use English spellings E.g. colour, jewellery, metre (just to clear up any confusion)

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Running down the hallway, two hearts pounded uncontrollably. Where was Greg? What had he done? Grissom fell behind Sara, his age catching up with him. Greg was a little annoying at times, but his heart was always in the right place and he cared deeply for Sara. Nick deserved whatever was coming to him, but Greg didn't need to throw his life away for someone who may go to jail for assault anyway. The shot had come from the evidence locker, where Nick had spent the day looking for a particular case 'off the board'. He looked around and noticed people crouching behind desks and janitor's trolleys; afraid that they were under attack. Only two figures raced down the hallway ahead of them; Brass and another uniform. He quickened his pace; he was not going to let Nick go before making him suffer himself.

Sara sprinted ahead towards the sound, forgetting Grissom and focusing only on Greg. Greg had always had a thing for her, she knew that. What she didn't realise was how far he would go to avenge her. Greg had so much going for him; she couldn't let him throw that away because she couldn't defend herself. She would pretend she had shot Nick if needs be, Greg was not going to suffer. She stopped just outside the evidence locker; she still had to sign in. Scribbling down her name and the time, 7:13, she tossed the pen at Grissom and sprinted in, followed by Gil seconds later.

The smell of blood slapped both investigators in the face. Cast off on one of the shelves caught Gil's attention, so he pointed it out to a frantic Sara. She heard Brass nearby and ran towards his voice.

"Yes, can't you come any quicker? Great! Bye." He looked up at the new arrivals, his face grim. "EMS are on the way, Sara I'm so sorry."

Nick laid coughing, his chest bleeding profusely and his hands suddenly shooting out for Sara. Recognising her role, she gasped and swooped down to his level, taking his hands.

"It's okay babe. You'll be fine, I'm here." Despite his condition, he still managed to grab Sara's shirt and pull her closer to him. She felt his warm blood soak her shirt, fighting hard to ignore the repulsion flowing through her veins. He seemed desperate to tell her something in spite of the blood choking him. She looked at Grissom, horror in her eyes, before turning back to Nick. She had once loved this man, but now no sympathy flowed through her veins. He had turned her into an even more screwed up person; he got what was coming to him. Nevertheless, he still gasped out disjoined words.

"Sara! He…you…" He stopped momentarily, coughing worse than before. Brass gripped Sara's shoulder; he could only imagine the pain of seeing one's spouse in such agony.

"Nick, honey, who did this? Where is he?"

"He…want…you…precious…pony…bugman…love you!" He fought on, determined to make her understand the danger she was in.

"Don't worry Nick, the paramedics are here, they'll take care of you." She saw the confusion on his face; why didn't she tell him she loved him too? Realising the gaping hole she was tearing in the plan, she kissed the hands that held in hers. There was no way she could say the words he longed to hear. There was always the risk that she would start to believe them again. She stood up and moved out of the way of two EMTs with a stretcher, both shouting words that did not register in her head. Bugman? That must be Grissom, why would Nick mention Grissom? He didn't shoot him. Pony? What the hell did pony have to do with anything? Precious? Nick had never accused her of regarding Gris as precious. Greg had never called her precious either. Greg!

Sara pulled out her phone, pressing speed dial 4. She waited anxiously, shifting her weight from one foot to another. "God, please say he didn't do it!" she thought. On the third ring, Greg answered.

"Sara, where the hell are you? I heard shots, are you okay? Is anyone hurt?" Greg sounded worried. Breathing deeply, Sara thought of an appropriate reply. "He wouldn't have answered if he was guilty," she thought, watching the paramedics finally stabilise Nick and load him onto a stretcher.

"I'm fine Greg, but Nick's not. He got hit. They're taking him to the hospital. I'm going with him." She really said the last sentence to Grissom and the paramedics, both of whom nodded in her direction. Greg, on the other hand shouted his protests down the phone.

"No way Sara! He's not worth it!" Other voices appeared at the other line as Sara ran after the paramedics. She recognised Warrick's voice, then Catherine's, quickly followed by Mandy.

"What happened Greg?"

"Is someone hurt?"

"Who's not worth what?"

"Sara, I'm putting you on speaker phone. Is that okay?"

"Quickly Greg, I'm nearly at the ambulance."

"Sara!" Catherine's voice was sharp and alert. "What happened? Who's hurt?"

"It's Nick. He's been shot, I'm about to get into the ambulance now. I'm gonna have to go, I'll call everyone when I get more news."

The gasps were the last thing Sara heard before switching off her phone. Now Nick was hurt, but it wasn't Greg that did it. Nick would need her help to recover, if he pulled through. The plan was getting her in too deep; she needed an easy outing, fast! Noticing Nick beginning to croak her name, she took his hand, thinking.

"Sidle, you've screwed up big time!"

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	8. Chapter 8

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, anything CSI related or anything else in this story (except for the fact that I wrote the story itself)

Summary: Sequel to 'The Dagger in his Heart'. Read that one first or this one won't make sense. What happened next…?

Thanks so much for the reviews! I'm posting this early for those who needed an earlier chapter, enjoy!

Warning! Spoilers through to series 6

PS. I use English spellings E.g. colour, jewellery, metre (just to clear up any confusion)

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Grissom ran his hands through his hair as he traced his way back to his office, completely unaware of the stares he was receiving from half the lab. Sara had lost control. She was supposed to be making Nick dump her, not becoming his guardian angel as he recovered; if he recovered. The paramedics had been confident that he was going to be okay, in time. But how long was time? Sara had only recovered from her injury in such a short time because of her determination, but Nick didn't share her drive. He loved her for her determination, not to mention her enthusiasm, her smile, the taste of her lips on his… He wasn't sure how long he could wait before he just ran in and rescued Sara; he had waited for so long already and had already had a small taste. He thought back to Hodges plan; four long stages that seemed flawless, except for the time it would take. He needed action, so why wouldn't his brain function when it was needed most?

Despite the chaos and rumours flying through the corridors, the staff made way for Grissom to pass by silently into his office. Heads turned, but mouths closed as Grissom closed his door, vanishing from their view. On the other side of the door, Gil flopped into his chair and sighed. He noted somewhere in an unreachable part of his brain that he had let his email account unattended in his absence, and that his coffee was now pretty close to iced muck. He began to count quietly, taking in his precious isolation for a few seconds.

"5, 4, 3, 2…"

BANG! While most staff at LVPD and the crime lab respected Grissom's silence, every rule has an exception.

"Grissom! My office! NOW!" Ecklie's face was an angry purple mess as he flung the door open. He stood aside impatiently as Grissom slowly rose from behind his desk and began to walk towards the door. As usual, his walk was disturbed by the clucking of Ecklie's tongue as he drifted out of the room. He knew exactly what was coming to him, but his usual temper at this sort of moment seemed to have faded away. Sara was in danger and was stuck with an abusive man, what good would arguing with Ecklie do? Whispers buzzed throughout the short journey to Ecklie's office. Catherine's heels could be heard around the corner; the usual moment of relief was replaced with more dread. The whole lab seemed to be out to stop him thinking. He finally reached the office and took his usual position in the doorway as Ecklie slammed the door again. Ecklie had learned long ago that Grissom didn't sit.

"Do you need the hinges on your door oiling Conrad? They do close with a simple push, you know"

"Don't be a wise ass with me Gil, now is not the time."

"I guess you want an explanation about Nick then?"

"Among other things Gil. First of all, what the hell is this video about?"

"Video? What Video?"

"Don't mess with me Gil! We all got the email; I just managed to stop the entire lab seeing it. Both videos shouldn't be sent to so many people! It's unethical and bad for the lab! Even you should know better."

"Spare the lecture Conrad; just tell me what the hell you're talking about!"

"Don't play dumb with me Grissom. You want to see? Go on then! Get your sick pleasure!" Ecklie tapped a few keys on his laptop and turned the screen towards Grissom. The screen was blank for a second, and then was filled with the image of a pale girl with dark brown hair and an unreadable expression. He clapped his hand to his mouth as a man's voice blared out the speakers.

"11th October 1983. Investigation into the murder of Martin Michael Sidle, case 1379…"

"You know this video then Grissom? How did you get hold of this? This is evidence that you had no right to obtain. The case could be compromised; Laura Sidle's appeal is in 6 weeks. A convicted murderer could be out on the streets in a matter of weeks because you feel you're above the rules…"

"Sara and I received it in the mail. It was a threat to us both, especially me. Sara requested that no-one else saw or knew about the tape for…obvious reasons. I'm guessing you watched it?" Grissom raised an eyebrow at Ecklie's anger-flushed face, knowing that his curiosity would not have restrained Conrad at all. He ignored the sinking feeling in his stomach and ploughed on."So, the other video then? What was that one about?"

Ecklie recovered from the put-down quickly. Tapping another few keys, a second film began to play.

Grissom instantly recognised the walls of the evidence locker, grey shelves filled with white cardboard boxes. A broad male figure had his back to the camera, re-arranging boxes to check labels. Despite the poor CCTV image, Nick's figure was easily recognisable. Nick suddenly started. There was no sound, so one must assume that someone started speaking to Nick. Although his face showed no fear, Nick clearly was uneasy being alone in the room with this person; his hand was casually moving to his gun as he spoke. A man suddenly stepped on screen, firing a long shotgun at Nick, who collapsed instantly. The man fled as soon as he had appeared, leaving Nick writhing on the floor as blood poured from his chest. A few moments later, Brass and a uniform arrived, followed by Sara and Grissom. The screen went black, and the deafening silence was broken as the same voice that came at the end of Sara's interrogation video began to speak.

"Nice try Bugman, unloading her onto another man. A safe way for you to go unharmed, I'm sure. I know what you two are doing, and it won't work. Sara is mine. If you're listening Sara, you know who I am. No-one else knows you like I do, or how to treat you. We will be re-united again. Watch this space!"

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	9. Chapter 9

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, anything CSI related or anything else in this story (except for the fact that I wrote the story itself)

Summary: Sequel to 'The Dagger in his Heart'. Read that one first or this one won't make sense. What happened next…?

Thanks so much for the reviews! Huge apologies for the wait my internet was playing up

Warning! Spoilers through to series 6

PS. I use English spellings E.g. colour, jewellery, metre (just to clear up any confusion)

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Ecklie wasted no time in breaking the shocked silence from Gil. Here was his excuse to finally get rid of Grissom once and for all, not to mention finding the man on the tape and regaining all the respect he had lost over the years.

"I don't even know where to start Gil! This tape could be seen by everyone you've ever met. You compromised this investigation before it could even start; the tape will never stand up in court now! You've violated protocol, not to mention Stokes' and Sidle's privacy. There's politically tone deaf, Gil, but this low, even for you! Did you ever stop and think what might happen to the lab if either of these tapes hit the press?"

Grissom's temper had been bubbling higher and higher as Ecklie continued to believe the worst of him, not to mention the fact that Nick couldn't have been behind the notes and tapes. Matters were not made any better when Ecklie began his 'For the Good of the Lab' speech. He found words falling past his lips, interrupting Ecklie's.

"Conrad, listen to me! I did not send those videos to anyone. I just came back to my office and my email had been left on. I have an alibi; the email had to be sent after Nick had been shot. What time did you receive the email?" There was a pause as Ecklie checked the details.

"It was received at 7:18."

"I arrived at the evidence locker at 7:13 with Sara; I signed the book and CCTV proves that. I signed out again after the paramedics left, at 7:22. Brass was with me the whole time I was in that locker. Sara entered with me. There is no way I could have sent that email."

"That's bull Grissom! Sidle…I mean Stokes…is it still Sidle?..., and Brass are always the alibis, but not this time! I'm sick of having to deal with you Gil when your team should be finding out who shot Stokes. The tape is out, so send them to investigate! Willows is in charge of the investigation; Gil you're on one week suspension, pending an investigation into your credibility at the lab, starting immediately! Now get out of my office!"

Grissom stalked out of the office, fuming at the injustice of the situation. He had an alibi with the head of homicide and an incredible CSI, yet Ecklie threw it away without a second thought. No wonder the asshole wasn't an investigator anymore; his judgment clouded his mind. People ducked out of Grissom's way as he walked to the front desk, holding back the whispers.

"Grissom!" Catherine ran up to him. "What the hell happened? Sara said Nick was shot, and then Ecklie told me to delete all emails from you and tell everyone immediately to do the same. Now you're leaving instead of investigating. What's going on?"

"Someone broke into my email account and send some emails to everyone at the lab. Ecklie saw it and decided it was best that no-one else saw them. Nick was shot down in the evidence locker; he's at the hospital with Sara. Ecklie put you in charge; I'm on suspension. CCTV will not be admissible in court so the investigation is relying on the scene." He continued to walk as if he had said nothing unusual to Catherine, who stood with her mouth gaping behind him.

"Suspended? And I have to run an investigation on Nick with only Warrick and Greg, his best friends? Where are you going?"

"To the hospital. As a concerned friend of the family!" he added hastily as Catherine looked ready to interrupt. "I'll talk to you later." He continued walking down the hallway, nodding to Judy's replacement as he left. He had no intention of going to the hospital to see Nick, but Catherine would probably call for an update at some point. Hopping in his car, he pulled out his phone and called the hospital.

"Desert Palms Hospital. How may I help you?"

"This is Gil Grissom from the crime lab. A CSI, Nicholas Stokes, was brought in not long ago and I would like to know how he is doing."

"Just one second please…Stokes, Nicholas…yes he's here he's in surgery. His wife just left minutes ago; I think the pressure got too intensive for her. She almost left her laptop her she left so quickly. Would you like a call when Mr Stokes comes out of surgery?"

"Yes that would be appreciated. Thank you." He hung up, his mind teeming. Her laptop? What could distress her so much on … shit! The email! He felt himself automatically accelerating as he drove home. Maybe she went there to do some damage. He didn't care if she burned his house down, he loved her too much. If she could ever forgive him, he would treasure ever ash left behind, every shard of glass from glasses broken. Nick was innocent, someone else was breaking them up, and she was in danger. Reaching his house, he opened the door as looked around.

He felt his heart pounding, still laced with the deep scars from the dagger that had once gripped it. The doors in his house couldn't open fast enough. Whoever had sent that email had one clear intention; to hurt Sara and drive them further apart. He finally knew how to get her away from Nick, but he had to reach her before she did some real damage. Even as he crossed the sitting room, he noticed the emptiness of the house usually cluttered with the remains her Sara's belongings; his company at home. He checked room after room, his heart sinking as he viewed his house in the same condition it had been before Sara, desolate and cold. As he saw the note on his pillow, he felt the grief hit him and make him sink to his knees. She was gone. Once again he was too late.

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Just letting you know that I'm no longer posting new chapters on a Monday. Instead, I'm going on a writing binge and posting them all once I'm finished. If it takes forever, I will post some chapters I'm not that mean :p Please keep the reviews coming, they make me smile !


	10. Chapter 10

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, anything CSI related or anything else in this story (except for the fact that I wrote the story itself)

Summary: Sequel to 'The Dagger in his Heart'. Read that one first or this one won't make sense. What happened next…?

Thanks so much for the reviews!

Warning! Spoilers through to series 6

PS. I use English spellings E.g. colour, jewellery, metre (just to clear up any confusion)

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_Dear Gil,_

_I know you expected me to trash your house, and the thought did occur to me. But then again, maybe you didn't think that. Maybe you don't know me as well as I think you do. So here's a different me for you; one who won't kill you for humiliating me. As you probably guessed, I've taken back my things. What's the point in going back to a place where secrets can't be kept and the man I love tells the world about my past. I thought you loved me, and I love you. I still do, although it's tearing me up after what you did. _

_I never expected this from you. Who'd have thought you could do something like this to me. I thought you understood that the tape of me needed to be kept private. I trusted you, because I thought that of all people, you would understand the need for privacy. I saw the other tape too. Why? Why would you do something like that? I don't love Nick, so why do you feel like you must jeopardise__ his case? I know you were uncomfortable with my plan, but I thought that you wouldn't get jealous, that you would understand that there was no alternative.__ I guess I was wrong about you, about what we had._

_It hurts me to write this letter, it'd better hurt you to read it! I hate you for this Grissom, you've turned me into a freak show for the whole world to ogle and feel sorry for. I spent my entire life fighting that reputation and you ruin it. All I want to do is hurt you. __Well, __at least __y__ou can'__t hurt me anymore__. I didn't think it was possible after years of enduring the pain. My hand is shaking, can you tell from the writing? Part of me wants to just cry, another wants me to tear this up now and think that it couldn't have been you. But who else could have sent that tape? Who else had access to your email? _

_I can't stay here where you are. I've called Ecklie and resigned. You will never see me again Gil__. This is the last you will hear of me. I hope you're happy. Actually no, I hope you regret this forever. I hope your conscience never lets you rest. I hope the guilt chokes you and you suffer like you deserve to. I sure as hell have._

_I would say best wishes, but__ it seems inappropriate,_

_Sara_

Grissom's hands trembled. She hated him. She was gone. He knew she couldn't have been gone long, and that her tears had dampened the paper as well as his. She thought he didn't know her, but he did. He knew that she hated how men dominated the world, that she had a temper so short that it could be set off way to easily, that she always sung 'Walking on Sunshine' in the shower, that she needed privacy too, that she hated sympathy, that she would sit in bed thinking he was asleep, stroking his grey curls while she read Jane Austen. One sentence struck him hard. _Well, at least you can't hurt me anymore. _Anymore? She wouldn't hurt herself…right?

"Shit!" He ran to his cell and called Catherine.

**Meanwhile…**

Bent over the sink of the service station restroom, Sara splashed cool water over her face. A road trip to San Francisco was all she needed to get away from it all. How could Gil betray her like this if he loved her? Why would he humiliate her if he found their time apart as difficult as she did? She heard the door swing open and the clink of boots on the tiled floor. Her mind drifted to the rest of the team, imagining them watching her as a child voicing her darkest secrets. Sara hated pity, which she knew she would receive from the team. She straightened up to examine her face in the cracked mirror; dark shadows had formed under her red eyes; she hated crying. She hastily wiped her tears as the stall behind her opened; she didn't need sympathy from strangers. Her eyes fell upon the face of the occupant, gasping as she saw the yellow eyes, the slack unshaven face, the barrel of a gun…

"Long time no see darling. I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me." His eyes slid down her stiffened frame, still turned away from him, resting on her ass. "You suit adulthood, more flesh on the bones." He licked his licks and sniffed. A short silence filled the room.

Sara whipped round to see the face she had seen in her nightmares for years. He pounced, covering her mouth as she struggled. She could feel herself weakening as she refused to breathe, noticing the fine white powder on the man's finger under her nose. Desperate for air, she inhaled nasally, her nostrils burning. She struggled for a few more seconds before going limp, clutching at the man as her vision doubled and her head pounded. His voice was faint.

"That's right my precious little pony. Welcome back."

**Grissom's home**

"I know what you're thinking Cath, but please just drop it. We need to find Sara."

Catherine was sat on Gil's couch, her mouth hanging open as she re-read the letter in her hands. Gil had got together with a married woman, lived in fear for a fortnight, schemed with Hodges and had his relationship ruined, **right under her nose!** Grissom was pacing frantically, ready to wave aside any questions that Catherine would inevitably ask. Sara's letter implied a lot of things worth pulling Cath out of work for, and he wanted her found. Catherine also looked at Hodges plan in disbelief. The guy knew his stuff.

_Phase One. Give her a taste to show her what she is missing. On her scheduled visits, show her exactly what she is missing out on by going ahead with her plan. I can only imagine how far you guys have gone, so go further! _.

_Phase Two. Save her from an awkward situation. She'll appreciate the gesture and miss you more._.

_Phase Three.__ Make a gesture of commitment. You don't need to propose or anything, maybe get a dog if she likes animals._.

_Phase Four. Stir up controversy with her and Nick subtly. This also accelerates her plan__ so she feels like she's doing the work._.

_Phase Five. Confront Nick. Let him know that Sara is your woman, just when he feels glad to get her out of his hair. Publically declare your love for her so she knows just how you feel.__ She can't refuse you._.

_Phase Six (optional) Name your first son David.__ I am saving your ass here!_.

"She just sounds like she's taken a trip or moved away Gil. I don't think she's in trouble. What makes you think it's a suicide note? What could be so bad that she'd hurt herself?"

"_Well, at least you can't hurt me anymore. _Cath, it sounds like suicide. How can we know that she hasn't killed herself or hurt herself? This tape… the tape showed her interview when she was twelve and her father was killed. She was asked to describe her day and she told the guys that her brother had been selling her to a coke dealer. She was an addict herself at twelve because the guy would drug her up to keep her under his control! Now she thinks I sent the tape to everyone at the lab. Ecklie stopped most people seeing it, thank God, but she doesn't know that. Even if she hasn't done something, someone is still after her. He threatened me, he shot Nick. Who knows what he'll do to her!"

Catherine's mouth fell open even wider. "Gil, I swear I had no idea it was this bad. I'll call Brass and see if he'll check her old apartment, Nick's house, her old haunts. We'll find her Gil, I promise. I can't do anything because I've got Nick's case, but keep me informed. See if you can find somewhere out of town she might escape to, a holiday you discussed maybe? You have a lot of time on your hands, make use of it. I need to go to Desert Palms to check on Nick. Call me tomorrow." She rose from the couch, downed the rest of her coffee and left, leaving Grissom alone in his cold, empty house.

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Get ready for daily chapters, I am very nearly finished! Again, please R&R.


	11. Chapter 11

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, anything CSI related or anything else in this story (except for the fact that I wrote the story itself)

Summary: Sequel to 'The Dagger in his Heart'. Read that one first or this one won't make sense. What happened next…?

Thanks so much for the reviews!

Warning! Spoilers through to series 6

PS. I use English spellings E.g. colour, jewellery, metre (just to clear up any confusion)

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Nick stirred in his hospital bed. As the blurry images around him began to sharpen, he felt his stomach drop. It was not his wife's face looking into his. It was not even his girlfriend or friends. Building up as much strength as he could, he muttered the name with the correct tone.

"Grissom," he spat. He made to move into a sitting position but stopped as pain seared through him.

"Careful Nicky; you don't want to tear your stitches. Can you remember what happened back at the lab?" Nick didn't answer, breathing deeply and quickly as his anger rose. His heart monitor began to beep faster. "Calm down Nicky, I know it's tough but you can get through this. I'm not here to make you angry."

Nick began to calm down, making the approaching nurse leave the room again. He whispered tiredly to Grissom, "Where's Sara?" He needed her, to support him, to warn her…

"Nick, I really don't know. That's another one of the reasons I'm here. No-one can find her. Catherine thinks that she may have taken a vacation and we need to reach her. She doesn't know you're out of surgery yet."

"Grissom… She's in trouble. He…he wants her." Nick gulped. He needed to save Sara from this guy. It didn't matter if it was Grissom who did it. She didn't return his love when he needed it. She didn't even wait until he was out of surgery. For all he knew, she wasn't even there to start with. It was over; it was Elsie's turn now. "He called her his precious pony. He said you had given me Sara to save yourself, but that she belonged to him. I told him that she was my wife and he shot me. He was wearing a janitor's uniform; maybe he works at the lab. Find him Grissom, before he finds her."

"Did you recognise him at all? We can't use the CCTV from the evidence locker; it's been…contaminated. If you do, describe him to Catherine. I'm off the case. By the way Nick, I know we haven't been the best of friends recently…"

"Grissom…" Nick stopped. He was tired but Grissom had the right to know. "I…I'm leaving Sara. She loves you, you love her. You two need to be together, okay?" His voice shook as he spoke; it was difficult even when he couldn't look at her anymore. "She brings out the worst in me, I'm sure you noticed. The smugness, the violence, I'm not a bad guy Gris but when I'm with her…" He swallowed. "You and Sara belong together. I love Elsie, she and I have been together for ages now. I'm so different with her, calmer. I can't even be on speaking terms with you when I'm with Sara 'cos I know it's tearing both of you apart. I have only myself to blame so now I need to help. Just find her." His speech left a long silence. He swallowed again. "It never would have worked anyway; she was always like my sister. It's metaphorical incest!" He laughed.

Grissom began to laugh as well. Relieved laugher, cracked with emotion. Unable to hug Nick, he grasped his hand and patted him on the back, repeating the words "Thank you," over and over again. His blue eyes filled with happy tears; she was his. Nick understood. Looking at Nick, he noticed that his brown eyes had filled with happy tears too. The deep father-son relationship had been restored after almost two years of cold indifference or hatred.

"You concentrate on getting better Nicky. I'll track them both down."

"Hey Gris, one condition. First born will be called Nick, right?" He laughed harder. "And send Elsie in. She's nurse Car…"

"Carmit, yeah? I'll keep you informed."

Grissom left the room with a spring in his step. The sneaking around, the fiddly plans, it was over. Now it was just Sara and him and one clear path. As soon as he found her, that was. Nothing mattered anymore, the failed marriage, Ecklie, his insecurities, her past. Her past. Her past? The video footage from the email flashed before his eyes. The man on the shooting tape, he couldn't be…

He raced to his car, shouting Nick's message to Elsie on the way out. He sped home; his mind racing. In what seemed like hours, he was home and researching at top speed. He soon found some useful articles, accompanied by a photo. Opening the sent email, he froze the man's face on the video and compared the two. It was the same man. His eyes flickered to the articles underneath a photo of the man leaving prison.

_Drug dealer Eric Gardener was released from Las Vegas Nevada Correctional Facility today. Gardener was apprehended for distributing cocaine, rape and molestation charges, but was released on appeal on June 11__th__ 2001 with two years parole. Authorities and inhabitants of his local area are reminded to stay alert__…_

_San Francisco residents have been warned of the relocation of drug dealer Eric Gardener. Gardener will arrive on September 27__th__ 2005__…_

Eric Gardener, the man who dealt cocaine to Kevin Sidle, who accepted 12 year old Sara as payment almost 25 years ago. Released from prison almost 10 years ago. Sara had him convicted; he was back for revenge.

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Sorry about the short chapter, this is really more of an interlude. The next few chapters will be longer.


	12. Chapter 12

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, anything CSI related or anything else in this story (except for the fact that I wrote the story itself)

Summary: Sequel to 'The Dagger in his Heart'. Read that one first or this one won't make sense. What happened next…?

Thanks so much for the reviews! This chapter is one of the main reasons I rated this M. Enjoy!

Warning! Spoilers through to series 6

PS. I use English spellings E.g. colour, jewellery, metre (just to clear up any confusion)

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The lack of light struck Sara as she opened her eyes. She blinked, causing terrible pain to erupt in her forehead. She rarely had hang-overs like these, especially when she couldn't remember drinking the night before. Making to cradle her throbbing head, she found her hands restrained. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she gasped. Two rusty, bloodstained horseshoes had been hammered into a tall, wooden bed frame, pinning her hands above her head. She closed her eyes; she knew the rest. Her legs were restrained in the same way, only spread apart. She would be wearing nothing but her underwear. Her hair would be swept back in a ponytail, and the voice would say…

"Well, precious pony. You want to go for a special ride?" The dark figure loomed over her. Two more appeared at her left. Raspy voices began speaking over her; she wanted to scream but couldn't due to the duct tape across her mouth. "Look at this one! No doubt about it, this is pony." "All grown up," another voice croaked, lightly circling her breasts before squeezing hard. The first figure barked back, "Wait your turn, I always get the first ride! Don't I precious? You remember how this goes."

Before Sara attempt to do anything, the man leapt up on the bed. He knelt on her chest, knocking the wind out of her. She tried to struggle, slicing her hands on her rusty restraints. At the same time, another door flung open to her right. For a split second, she prayed it was Grissom coming to her rescue. Then she remembered; Grissom had no idea where she was. He didn't know anything was wrong. He revealed her most private secret. Her stomach plunged, however, when she recognised the deep, harsh voice. It could only mean one thing, Boar.

"What's on the menu today Gardener? I hear Marty Price owes us 3 thou…" The gigantic figure stopped, taking in the restraints and Sara's squirming. "Well, what do you know? Pony! Hun, you look good. Adulthood suits you." He ran a callused hand up her leg, stopping when Gardener barked at him too. Boar was the ringleader, but he always let Eric have his bone. "Any particular reason we have your company pony?" Boar asked, more to Eric than anyone else.

"We met up with old Kev Sidle a while back. He still owes us $5000. We found him in a gutter flat broke. We told him we needed money, he told us pony was in Vegas. Seen Kev recently precious?" he asked Sara. She struggled, her mind teeming. She hadn't spoken to Kevin since … the incident. She didn't even know he was alive, yet he knew where she was. The pressure of Eric's weight on her chest shortened her breath, drawing his attention. "I think pony's restless. Shall we start our ride precious?" His hands moved to Sara's underwear as she wriggled and screamed behind the tape, terrified of her childhood nightmare reliving itself all over again. He slapped her face hard before moving to her neck, flattening his body on top of hers and biting hard while boar forced more cocaine into her nostril until she stayed still at last…

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"Brown."

"Hey Rick. Any luck?"

"Yeah Griss. He's in California and his parole officer is mysteriously missing. I've sent an email with his original location and where he was last seen. They're on the same block. You really think he's got Sara?"

"Yes. She's missing and he's been threatening her for weeks. It's the only explanation. Thanks Warrick, if I came in and did it Ecklie would have me arrested. Nick's doing fine by the way. He knows she's in trouble but not that she's missing; I saw him two days ago."

"I'll go by the hospital today. Everything cool with you guys?"

"Yes we worked things out; he'll tell you I'm sure. I need to buy a plane ticket. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. Take care."

Grissom checked the email and called the airport. It was his best shot. She needed him, he needed her. He had no idea whether or not Gardener had found her. He prayed that she was sunbathing in San Francisco or visiting friends somewhere, hoping that he wasn't too late one last time.

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Another short chapter I know. Apologies for this being short and there should be quicker updates after this.


	13. Chapter 13

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, anything CSI related or anything else in this story (except for the fact that I wrote the story itself)

Summary: Sequel to 'The Dagger in his Heart'. Read that one first or this one won't make sense. What happened next…?

Thanks so much for the reviews! Another dark chapter I'm afraid with a glimmer of hope though!

Warning! Spoilers through to series 6

PS. I use English spellings E.g. colour, jewellery, metre (just to clear up any confusion)

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Ripping pain brought Sara back to her senses. She had no idea whether she had passed out or not. The room was now lighter; maybe it was daylight. Only Boar remained in the room, Gardener was clearly off for another buzz with the two others. He could have had other victims in the house. Her thoughts were interrupted by the ripping pain again. It hit her; Boar had taken Gardener's place on top of her, the ripping pain was him inside of her. He grunted horribly as he thrust himself deeper into her. She struggled weakly in her pain, making Boar look into her terrified face. He grinned.

"We won't tell old Gardener about this, will we pony? I've waited so long for my turn, right from that first look…" He traced her slender jaw line gently, peeling back the tape and then grabbing her chin, bringing her mouth roughly to his. She tried to pull away, but his hand on the back of her head was too strong. His tongue tried to enter her mouth. Sara clamped her lips together as hard as she could, fighting him with all the strength she had left. Grunting impatiently, he thrust himself inside of her harder than he had ever done. Sara screamed inside his mouth, feeling warm blood soaking her thighs. Grasping his chance, he forced his tongue into her mouth, moaning loudly.

Sara felt the fight in her fading. She was tired, thirsty and in pain. She had no idea how long she had been forced to endure the pain she was in, but judging by the amount of dried and fresh blood surrounding her, she had been here a while. Even in her weakness, she began to dread Eric's return. When she was 10, Eric had found one of his temporary cronies on top of her when he was out for another hit. He shot the guy right in front of her. His warm blood had drenched her, staining her skin and hair. Eric had washed the blood off her, an act of kindness destroyed by his wandering hands and tongue. The body was gone when Kevin came for her, sallow-faced and high. She had told Kevin when the local news reported the guy missing, but Kevin just shut her up the only way he knew how.

_"You tell anyone about this Sar, you'll go to prison. You tell anyone it was Eric, Boar will come for you. He's not gentle like Eric, he'll kill you. So hold your tongue you stupid little girl.__"_

Sara's fear of Boar was worse than every child's fear of the recurring monster in the closet. Boar, living up to his nickname, was huge and hairy. He was stronger than Sara's father, who had broken her mother's jaw on more than one occasion with one punch. Boar never singled her out as a victim; she was the toy that kept the kid occupied while the father went to work. She had once given him a pleading look in her first visit, begging for his help. His reaction was unsettling; she never saw the teenager standing next to him again and the front door was a pile of splinters seconds later. Now she knew why; he had wanted her too. When he finally surfaced for air, Sara flopped back onto the bed, panting quietly.

"We could go away." Boar's statement surprised Sara. He gave her a look she had never seen him give her before. He looked curious and thoughtful. "You live in Vegas, right? People will be looking for you. We can go back together. You tell everybody everything is normal, but you have a new boyfriend; me. Gardener won't look for us so far away. You won't be in danger; I sent the messages and videos. I even had to hack into your boss's email just to get you to leave. If you stay here, you will die. Gardener will let you die, nothing is sacred to him. It really doesn't have to be this way." He pulled out of her, sitting next to her instead. "All I ask is that you let me love you. I know you will never love me, too much has happened. Just…let me have you. Okay?" He watched her apprehensively.

Sara's mind was racing. She could escape from Eric, but Boar would always be there. Grissom…Grissom would be heartbroken. Then it hit her, it serves him right! He humiliated her and broke her heart. Now she could do the same to him. Without Eric, Boar seemed like a normal guy, only with an addiction and a habit of losing control with lust. She could live with that for the look on Gil's face. Besides, there was no alternative, she could go with Boar or she could die. If she said no, he might kill her. Even if he didn't, Eric would. She sighed and nodded, closing her eyes.

Boar sighed loudly, leaping back onto her and burying his face in her neck. Suddenly stopping, he picked up a hammer and wrenched the horse shoes out of the wall, freeing Sara's hands and feet. He tossed her clothes to her and grabbed a pile of cash from inside a nearby closet. After making sure Eric was still out of action, he drugged Sara "for the last time" and carried her to his car, taking off into the night.

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Grissom swerved his rental car out of the way of a speeding car. The large driver didn't slow down, nor did the woman next to him encourage him to stop. He pulled up outside an old house with boarded up windows. He checked the address on his slip of paper. This was the place. He left the car and entered, praying that Sara was safe, or about to become anyway.

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	14. Chapter 14

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, anything CSI related or anything else in this story (except for the fact that I wrote the story itself)

Summary: Sequel to 'The Dagger in his Heart'. Read that one first or this one won't make sense. What happened next…?

Thanks so much for the reviews! _And now the end is near…_

Warning! Spoilers through to series 6

PS. I use English spellings E.g. colour, jewellery, metre (just to clear up any confusion)

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Three male figures lay in the hallway. Grissom slipped past, noticing that the men were obviously too high to notice him. One shouted out some mumbled words as he passed, the other two didn't move. One of them had a familiar face, Eric Gardener. Under his breath, Grissom told Warrick down the phone that the guy who shot Nick was in the room. The fear inside of Grissom, however, did not waver at the condition of the men; he needed to find Sara alive. The rest of the house was deathly quiet; he only hoped that it was not the kind of quiet only death could induce.

Locked doors met him as he walked down the hallway. He kept going nonetheless, hoping that Sara wasn't locked in. One door finally creaked open, the smell of blood wafting from the room. Grissom's heart sank, what if she was dead? What if he didn't save her in time? Part of him had always told him that Sara would be alive and fighting when he found her, and this part of him would certainly ensure that he could never accept that she was gone. His hands trembled as he held his phone to his ear again.

"I've found an unlocked door. I…I don't think I can go in Warrick."

"Why not Grissom? She could be in there!"

"I can smell blood. Too much blood. What if she's…?" He could bring himself to say it.

"You'll never know if you don't go in. Just be careful, draw your weapon when you go in and keep me informed."

"Okay, I'm going in." Grissom drew his gun and kicked the door open. Nothing happened, so he entered.

The grotesque sight that came to Grissom would haunt his nightmares for years to come. Blood, old and fresh, stained an old wooden bed frame, a cheap mattress, the floor, the walls… Four old, bloody horse shoes lay on the floor. On the bed, the blood had congealed with semen stains, as well as on a horse whip in the corner. Huge holes had been made in the bed frame, implying exactly where the horse shoes had been. The holes were surrounded with fingernail scratches and yet more blood. Cotton swabs laced with blood and cocaine littered the floor. The partial darkness coming from the boarded up window seemed to glisten only on the blood. Women's underwear that looked way too familiar lay torn on the floor, coated with what had to be more semen. Grissom swore loudly, dropping his phone and gun to the floor as he covered his mouth.

"Grissom? Grissom! Are you there Grissom? What's happening? Are you okay?"

His hands shaking worse than ever, he picked up his phone again.

"I'm…God Warrick! She's not here. Why isn't she here? There's just so much blood."

"Come on Gris, we don't know that it's hers."

Glancing around the room again, he couldn't help but notice a ring at his feet. He picked it up with a tissue from his pocket. He stared at the engraved words. _The love of my life forever, my soul mate and now my beautiful wife._

"Warrick, what's engraved on the ring?"

"What ring?"

"Sara's wedding ring! What's the message! Do you know it?"

"I picked it out with Nick. 'The love of my life, my soul mate…'"

"Shit! It's her blood, I know it. I'm holding her ring now. There's no other explanation. There's so much blood, she's…"

"There's no proof of that Gris. Get some swabs of the blood and anything else that's there, we need to be sure."

"There's more than blood, there's torture instruments and coke and…there's more semen than I have ever seen. If she is alive, she'll be in so much pain. We have to find her fast Warrick; I don't know what I'd do without her." Tears began to fall down his cheeks, the situation finally hitting him fully. All that time wasted by working together and nothing more. He even turned her down at first. If he hadn't, they could have had years together. He would have never left for England; she would have never married Nick. He began to sob. Years of frustration and loneliness flooded from his eyes, leaving behind the empty shell that had concealed his emotions all his life. He felt like a lost child, vulnerable without his mother and feeling more alone than anything.

"Grissom! Listen to me! She's not gone. We'll find her. Oh shit, Ecklie's coming. I'll call you when he goes." Just before Warrick could hang up, he shouted down the phone again. "Grissom, Ecklie wants to speak with you now. Is that okay?"

"Sure. Why not? Nothing could make me feel any worse."

"Grissom!"

"Conrad."

"What is Sidle's resignation doing on my desk? Have you approved this?"

"No Conrad, I had no warning."

"Well, I can't approve this, you know that. It's lucky she called anyway to try and cancel it."

"What?" both Warrick and Grissom shouted. "Conrad, when was this? Tell me!"

"About 2 hours ago. Why?"

"I thought she was dead. I'm out looking for her as we speak. Did she sound okay? Was she alone?"

"She wasn't alone, she was talking all the way through the conversation with someone she called Boar. She kept asking him to talk because she felt lightheaded and weak. Other than that, she sounded okay. Just not up for the usual argument. I expect you back at work in three days Grissom!" He hung up, leaving Grissom alone surrounded by Sara's blood and presence.

**Meanwhile…**

"Come on Boar, could we just stop for a second? I feel so weak. I think I need a drink of something." Sara cradled her pounding head, wishing that Boar would stop. Instead, he accelerated, turning round in his seat. His face was purple with sudden rage.

"Shut the fuck up! You've done nothing but whine since you got in this car! I've saved your fucking life and you only want more out of me! I'm about to fly you back to Vegas so you can do your fucking job, so quit nagging me or I swear to God I'll take you back to Gardener! Is that what you want?" Sara trembled, but remained silent. She had a terrible feeling that something else was going to go drastically wrong, so she just played along against her better judgement. She put a hand on Boar's leg, thinking it might calm him enough to slow down the car. She was wrong.

As soon as her hand made contact, a sudden glint appeared in Boar's angry brown eyes. One hand left the steering wheel, pulling Sara's mouth towards his. She played along, knowing that resistance would only anger Boar even more, not to mention she was too weak to fight back anyway. The kiss was soon interrupted by the sound of screeching brakes and the blare of a truck's horns. Boar refused to break apart or look at the road, until the airbags inflated when the car and the truck collided.

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Grissom's mind was racing as he drove back to the airport as quickly as he could. She was safe all along. Following Warrick's advice, he had collected swabs of all the fluids he could find and picked up Sara's ring. He knew he was speeding, but he couldn't help it; Sara might die if he didn't hurry. To his horror, the road ahead was blocked by police cars and ambulances. Everyone in the cars in front of him had exited their vehicles and formed a crowd around the accident. Grissom followed suit, flashing his ID at one police officer.

"My name is Gil Grissom, I'm with the LVPD. What happened here officer?"

"It looks like a joyriding couple hit a truck. No fatalities yet, but the girlfriend is in pretty bad shape. The truck driver is pretty shaken up though. Apparently, the couple began kissing while going at around 80mph and hit him. It's a miracle they're not dead."

"Really? Teenagers?"

"No, the guy's around 45, I'd guess, and the girl looks, well, I couldn't really see. She's in real bad shape. Probably 30s. Oh wait, here she comes." Both men turned to watch the paramedics go past with a young woman lying on a stretcher. Grissom paled.

"Oh God! Officer, I have to go with her. I know her, her name is Sara Sidle. She lives in Vegas and works at the crime lab with me. That's why I'm out here, looking for her."

"Run and ask the paramedics. If not they'll be heading for Central Valley Medical Centre. I'll get Bob to take you if you can't go with them. Go, now!"

Grissom ran towards the ambulance, only to find his way blocked by EMTs. He explained the situation to them, but they apologised profusely. They would need all the space they could get. Running back towards the uniform, he found his path blocked by a burly officer.

"Gil Grissom? I'm Bob. You ready to go? Sam'll sort out your car if you give him the keys." He waved a huge hand at a blonde officer approaching. Without a second thought, Grissom threw him the keys and leapt into a parole car, anxious for Sara to survive the horrific accident that made no sense.

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This will be the second last chapter (not including the epilogue though, funny isn't it? The epilogue of an epilogue) Please tell me what you think!


	15. Chapter 15

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, anything CSI related or anything else in this story (except for the fact that I wrote the story itself)

Summary: Sequel to 'The Dagger in his Heart'. Read that one first or this one won't make sense. What happened next…?

Thanks so much for the reviews! _…and so I face the final curtain._

Warning! Spoilers through to series 6

PS. I use English spellings E.g. colour, jewellery, metre (just to clear up any confusion)

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The blinding whiteness shocked Sara. The last thing she could remember was Boar's hand forcing her face to his, despite the blaring horns from an oncoming truck. Now she felt…well, not exactly comfortable but better. Then, an all too familiar wave of pain shattered her temporary bliss. She muttered her protests, unable to deal with more torture.

"Boar, get off. I mean it. You nearly killed me. Stop!" Her voice grew. "Help! Someone help me!" She screamed until Boar pinched her oxygen tube. She began to splutter, too weak to even scratch his fingers in protest. She heard footsteps, and then… "I must be hallucinating," she thought. "I can see Grissom opening the curtains, why would he be here?"

"Security! Get security now! Get the hell off her!" "It is Grissom!" she thought again. "How did he find me?" Grissom tossed aside the flowers in his hands and began to pull at Boar's hand, trying to free his grip. Boar was too strong, however, and just pushed him away.

"I asked not to be disturbed old man!" he grunted. Only then did Grissom realise exactly what Boar was doing to Sara. He shouted for security as loud as he could. In seconds, two guards and a nurse came running in, pulling Boar off of Sara and away from her oxygen. She stopped panicking and flopped back onto the bed feeling weaker than ever. The nurse checked her oxygen levels before asking Grissom to excuse them.

Grissom left the room feeling stunned. He had held her hand for 17 days, talking to her, hoping that hearing his voice might wake her up. He only left her side for food and to use the bathroom. Only this time, he had stopped for flowers. He had debated about the overpriced bouquets, trying to decide which one she would appreciate most when she woke up. He had taken so long; why didn't he just hurry? That way, when he heard her voice, she wouldn't be screaming for help instead of whispering his name. The last thing she needed was more pain. Her surgery had been horrific; she had flat lined three times and had needed so much blood. The amount of blood she had lost, the doctor had said, was inconsistent with her injuries from the accident. They were mainly superficial, excluding a head injury, two broken arms and a few broken ribs. After a full exam, they had explained how most of her blood had been lost through repeated sexual assault and various infected scrapes to the wrists and ankles. She was lucky to survive.

Catherine and Nick ran over to Grissom as he sank onto a bench in the waiting area. Ecklie had forbidden the whole team to go and see Sara at once, so two would go every week. Warrick and David had left two days ago with the news that there had been no change. Catherine passed him a coffee.

"Any change?"

"She's awake." Both Catherine and Nick sighed with relief. "But it's not great. You know the guy that was brought in with her? The big one?" Both nodded. "I came back in from a bathroom break to find Sara awake with that guy inside of her and blocking her oxygen. The nurses are checking her out again. Security has the guy, but I recognised him from the reports about Eric Gardener. His name is Phillip Garrette, aka Boar. He was in hiding and Gardener's main associate. He's wanted for murder, dealing, grand theft auto, the lot." Catherine and Nick looked appalled. Both pulled Grissom to his feet.

"She's been through hell Gil, she needs us there. Come on." They urged him back to Sara's room. As they approached, two nurses left the room chatting away. Nick ran up to one of them, ignoring Catherine's protests about his stitches.

"Excuse me ma'am. Our friend just woke up from a coma and we were wondering if she was okay? Will she recover?" He smiled at the nurse, who giggled upon hearing his Texan accent. Nick made a mental note in his head; forget hair and fibre analysis, his speciality was now nurses.

"Physically, all she needs is for her bones to heal and she'll be fine. Mentally, she may need counselling. She's been through a terrible ordeal. You can go in and see her if you want."

All three hurried into Sara's room. She looked no different from when she was in her coma; pale and covered in bandages and casts. Most of the original bruising had healed, however, making her look slightly better. Nick approached the bed and grasped her hands. She smiled weakly at him.

"Hey you. What're you doing here? The nurses said I was in California still."

"Grissom called everyone and we're taking it in turns to fly out here. You had us scared for a minute." Sara suddenly looked sombre.

"Nick…"

"Don't worry about it. We both knew it was never going to last. You're more like my sister than my wife. I have the divorce papers ready; I just wanted to make sure you pulled through." He kissed on her the cheek. "Friends?"

Sara smiled at him and nodded. He swooped down and pulled her into a hug. "Hey, mind the casts! I could still hurt you even with my arms broken!" She laughed.

"I don't doubt it for a second!" Nick laughed. He stepped back, allowing Catherine to take her turn. She pulled Sara into another hug, letting the tears fall. Sara sat in shock, attempting to hug Catherine back. The two women had never felt close, but now the emotions began to come out.

"We really thought we'd lost you for a moment there. One minute Nick's in hospital, then you vanish on us. We'd have no idea where you were if Gil hadn't gone looking for you. The doctors all said it was a miracle you were still fighting, that you must have been so strong. Don't ever, ever scare us like that again. You hear me?" She pulled back, grasping Sara's shoulders one last time before looking at Grissom, it was his turn now. However, he continued to linger in the shadows, afraid that Sara would reject him again.

"Gris?" Sara's tone was soft. No matter how hard he tried, he could not detect any anger in her voice. He still held back, moving only a few paces closer to her bedside. If he got any nearer, he knew he would lose control. Sara saw the ongoing battle in his eyes and held out her stiff arms. Something inside of him snapped. He ran at her, flinging himself into her arms and burying his head into her shoulder. Tears began to fall from both of their eyes and they clutched each other. Hours must have passed; they held each other for so long. Neither moved from their positions, even after Catherine and Nick had left. When Grissom pulled away at last, Sara had fallen asleep. Despite her injuries, she still looked so beautiful. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and climbed up onto her bed, soon falling asleep for the first proper sleep he had had in nearly three weeks.

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"He always called me 'precious pony', even before he adapted the horse shoes." Sara's face seemed oddly blank as she explained exactly what had happened to her. Grissom held her hand, urging her to go on. "When Kevin first took me to see him, I was carrying this toy horse I called precious. Eric humoured me at first, asking what it was called. I was seven. He called me precious ever since. Everyone else that hung around called me pony; I was only precious to Eric. Whenever I went round, Eric would…well, he went first. Then whoever else was around could play with me. Except for Boar. Boar never did anything to me when I was little. He always said he wanted money, not a babysitting job." She laughed coldly. "After the interview, I thought I'd never see him again. They took me off to rehab. They said I recovered quickly and put me into foster care. I avoided horses after that. I hadn't heard the nickname in so long that I didn't recognise it when Nick tried to warn me. I was taking a road trip after the whole thing with the email when Eric took me. I was in the bathroom at a service station. He came up behind me and drugged me. The next thing I knew, it was 25 years ago all over again." The tears in her eyes were finally starting to spill over her cheeks. However, she made no movement to wipe them as she continued.

"They kept drugging me so the majority of what happened is a blank. I just remember suddenly being more aware of things and Boar was having a go. I always thought he hated me, but he offered me a chance to escape. I just had to bring him and he would basically take advantage of me when he wanted. He just couldn't control his rage, or his lust. We were driving to the airport when he started shouting at me. I'd asked for some water, I had no idea how long it had been since they'd taken me. I just felt so weak."

"Three days. You were missing for three days before the crash. You'd also lost over a pint of blood. I saw the room they had you in." Grissom's face couldn't hide the horror from Sara as he relived the moment. He would never forget that room, or the feeling of dread that came over him when he found her ring. "I knew it was your blood; I found your wedding ring." His voice broke off, terrified of going on. Sara gripped his hand and kissed him lightly.

"Boar got so angry, and then he kissed me. I could hear the truck coming at us but he wouldn't leave me alone. He was flung out of the car; I remember that much before I passed out. Next thing I knew, I'm here with Boar on top of me again. Did I get an examination? I mean, I'm not… am I?" She suddenly looked fearful.

Grissom kissed her hand. "You're not pregnant, you were lucky. I was behind you, you know? I was heading back to the airport when the crash was being sorted out. When I saw you on that stretcher…Sara I really thought I was going to lose you. You'd already been through so much…" He pulled her closer; she wasn't getting away from him again.

Sara smiled through the stream of tears running down her face. "Gris? I know you didn't send that email. Boar told me he did it just before we left. Catherine also told me this morning that Ecklie stopped everyone seeing the email. I'm so sorry about the letter. I don't hate you. I could never hate you, no matter what you did." She rested her head on Grissom's shoulder. "So when can I get out of here?" She laughed quietly. "I really hate hospitals."

Grissom smiled at her. It seemed no matter what happened the old Sara was still there. "She really must be invincible," he thought happily as he kissed her again. She was here, she would recover. They only had their future to worry about now; the past could no longer bring them down.

The End

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I will probably have an epilogue in a few days; I need ideas for a good ending. Again, tell me what you think and if I missed any loose ends that are bugging you.


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